


Something Is Afowl

by michellemagly



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Vignette, is that the ship name i hope so, rybee, sarabee, the whole crew of the tempest will make an appearance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-04-11
Packaged: 2018-10-10 20:11:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10446441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/michellemagly/pseuds/michellemagly
Summary: After Bain nicknames Ryder "Little Duck", Peebee does some investigation into the word's meaning, and is delighted. Collection of related shorts featuring the Tempest crew teasing Ryder about her new nickname.





	1. Chapter 1

Ryder took the lift down to the lower deck of the Tempest, stripping off her helmet and rolling her neck with a groan. She could feel the dirt and grime gathered in the cracks of her envirosuit. If there was one thing to look forward to, it was a peaceful shower as her crew plotted their next move against the kett.

Walking into her room, she tossed her helmet onto her bed and began stripping off pieces of armor. She peeled off the chestplate, brushing sand off the undersuit as she dropped the shell to the ground with a clatter. It was only when she was half undressed when she spotted it – something small, yellow, and definitely not native to the Andromeda galaxy perched on her pillows – a rubber duck.

“Sam?” She saw the AI flicker to life on her desk.

“Yes, Ryder?”

“Why is there a rubber duckie on my bed?”

“Data not found.”

Ryder frowned and walked over to the bed. “What do you mean _data not found_? Don’t you keep records on who accesses my room?” She picked up the duck and squeezed it. The duck emitted a high-pitched squeak.

“Data not found.”

Ryder dropped the duck back on the bed. “Sam, this isn’t funny. If someone is sneaking into my room and leaving stuff, what’s to stop someone coming in and messing with you?” She turned around to confront the AI only to see an asari standing incredibly close to her. “Peebee!” she yelled, jumping backward.

“Hey Ryder.” She sauntered close, a slow grin spreading across her lips. “How you doing?”

“How am I...” She glanced from Peebee to Sam, and then back to Peebee. “Did you sneak that duck in here?”

Peebee shrugged and stepped around Ryder. “Well, yeah. Isn’t that what Bain called you, a _little duck_?” She picked up the rubber duckie and squeezed it in Ryder’s face. “You got so angry about the nickname I just had to look it up.”

Ryder grabbed the duck and placed it down on her nightstand. “So you’ll know why it’s such a terrible nickname.”

“More like the best nickname!” Peebee smiled and pinched her cheek. “Ducks are so cute! So small and squishy, just like you.”

Ryder pushed her hand away. “I am neither small nor squishy.”

Sam chimed in from his console. “Aside from Suvi, you are actually the shortest of the crewmembers, Ryder. This might lead to Peebee declaring that you are small.”

Peebe laughed and Ryder shook her head. She rolled her eyes, considering some words she would have with the AI later. “Thanks, Sam. That was really...insightful.”

“And they make such cute noises! How did the vid describe it? _Quack_.”

“Very accurate, Peebe.”

“Thanks, Sam.” She patted Ryder on the shoulder. “Don’t sulk. I thought it would be a nice gesture. Do you know how hard it was to find one of those?”

Ryder glanced back down at the duck. “I mean...couldn’t you have printed one?”

Peebee shook her head. “Too easy. I wanted an authentic earth duck. So I pulled some strings.”

“Really?” Ryder bent down and picked it up. The plastic felt a lot like the rubber ducks found back on earth. It even had the slight chlorinated smell of a pool toy. “Where’d you find it?”

Peebe shrugged and began walking toward the door. “Well, a girl has to have some secrets.” She shot a glance back at Ryder and winked at her. “I’ll see you around, _little duck_.” Ryder felt her face go hot and she looked down, avoiding Peebee’s gaze. To her embarrassment, she could hear Peebee chuckling even after the door shut and she was alone in her cabin again. Even more embarrassing, she could not help feeling a faint stir of something in response to the kind gesture, especially coming from emotionally distant, scared-of-commitment Peebee.

“Sam.”

“Yes, Ryder?”

“Run a cold shower for me.” She tossed the duck aside again and began shucking the rest of her armor.

“Are you suggesting you enjoyed being called a duck?”

“That’s _not_ what I’m implying, Sam." 

“I witnessed many creative terms of endearment exchanged between your parents-”

“Sam! Water!”

“Of course, Ryder.”


	2. Chapter 2

A couple days passed without much mention of anything duck-related aside from the odd laugh from Peebee and a whispered “little duck”. All of that perceived discretion went out the airlock, unfortunately, as soon as Vetra cornered her in the cargo hold.

“So what was the duck for?” she asked, rounding on Ryder as she passed by.

“I’m...sorry?” Ryder tried her best to look confused, but she could feel blush crawling onto her face. She tried to walk around Vetra and keep going, but the turian squarely blocked off her path.

“The duck. Peebee said she just ‘had to have it’ for you.” Vetra’s mandibles twitched in a way that suggested annoyance. “And so I busted my ass. Do you know how hard it is to secure an authentic silica-based earth waterfowl?”

“We’re still talking about the rubber duckie, right?” Ryder stooped down and made a run for the nomad, but Vetra’s arm caught her in the stomach and gently pushed her back into place. She groaned and stumbled back against a cargo container, glowering up at Vetra. “I thought good smugglers didn’t ask questions.”

“Not when my clients are intimidating. But Peebee doesn’t scare me, and neither do you.”

Ryder laughed. “You should reconsider that assessment of Peebee.” Sensing that she was trapped, Ryder hoisted herself up on one of the cargo crates and sighed. “So why do you want to know so bad, anyways?”

Vetra shrugged. “It’s a small ship. I like getting ahead on the gossip. And I like leverage."

“Great. Well, it’s not anything life-altering, sorry to disappoint.”

“But it totally embarrasses you, whatever it is.” Vetra laughed. “Good thing we don’t have to rely on you as a negotiator. You can’t keep a straight face.”

Ryder looked down at her feet and swung them against the crate. Her heels tapped lightly against the metal, causing the crate to thrum lightly with each impact. “So, this guy Bain called me a _little duck_ and Peebee thought it was a funny nickname so she got me the duck in response." 

She heard a low rumble and looked up at Vetra. The rumble turned into a full laugh and Vetra shook her head. She laughed loud enough that Ryder worried someone might come over and ask what they were talking about.

“Keep it to yourself, okay?” she muttered. Her face felt hot again. She was definitely bright red now.

Vetra placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. “Relax, all right? You know, what makes it so funny is the big deal you’re making over this. I happen to think it’s a good sign that Peebee likes the nickname.”

“Really?” Ryder glanced up at Vetra to see her smirking.

“Yeah. It means she likes you enough that she won’t jump ship overnight. She’s crazy, but she’s also the only one that seems to understand the Remnant.”

“Oh, yeah.” Ryder felt a hollow pit of emotion bloom in her stomach, a wrench of anxiety that reminded her of her somewhat problematic feelings for Peebee. _Feelings that Peebee won’t return._ She slid off the cargo crate and stepped around Vetra, who allowed her to pass this time. “I need to check in with Sam about something. See you later?”

“Sure thing, little duck.”

Ryder groaned and pressed a hand to her forehead. “I’m not a duck.” As she walked away, she heard Vetra add, “There’s a human saying for this! Umm...you sure get your feathers ruffled like one.”

Despite her hatred for the nickname, Ryder could not help laughing. She glanced back at Vetra and shook her head. “Very clever.”

On her private channel, she heard Sam say, “I have extrapolated what I can about humor from this exchange.”


	3. Chapter 3

It was too much to hope the name would fade into obscurity, Ryder quickly realized. Only a day after the incident with Vetra, she found herself eating breakfast in the common area with Gil and Suvi. As Gil began preparing bowls of cereal for them, he started humming. At first the hum was an indistinct tune, but it slowly took shape into something more sinister. Ryder groaned and buried her face in her hands while Suvi giggled.

Finally, he sang, “ _Ryder duckie, you’re the one_.” Ryder peeked between her fingers to watch Gil flash a lopsided grin at Suvi and point at her with a spoon.

Suvi joined in, “Quack, quack.”

“ _You make bath time lot’s of fun_.” He tapped out cereal into bowls and began uncapping the substitute milk. Ryder watched in horror.

“Quack, quack.”

Gil lifted the carton to his lips like a microphone and kept singing, “ _Ryder duckie I am awfully fond of you!_ ” He gestured at Suvi with the carton, sending droplets splattering. “Come on girl, saxophone solo!”

Suvi pantomimed playing the instrument and made the noise to go along with it. Ryder placed her forehead on the table and listened to the musical rendition continue. _I bet dad never had any dumb nicknames_. Ryder finally pried her head from the table when Gil slid a bowl and spoon toward her. “Thanks,” she muttered.

He passed one to Suvi and she ceased her solo. Over the ship’s comm, Kallo’s voice came in. “Suvi, I had no idea you were so musically talented.”

“Oh, stop,” she replied.

Ryder groaned and planted her face against the table again. “How many people were listening to this?”

Peebee’s voice lilted over the comm next, “There’s a song about ducks? This nickname is a gold mine.”

Thankfully, the song did not seem to catch on with the rest of the crew, though she could hear Peebee hum it occasionally, often incorrectly. Gil would laugh whenever she attempted this.

One day, when Ryder stood on tiptoes reaching for a datapad stored on a top shelf, she felt a warm pair of hands on her hips and the heat of another body as someone leaned in close to her. “So how fun _do_ you make bath time?”

“Peebee!” Ryder jumped out of her touch, her hand twitching and sending a pile of tech clattering off a shelf and all over the floor. She swore and withdrew her hand. Her cheeks felt hot again and, to her great annoyance, a small part of her imagined in great detail exactly what Peebee intended to imply.

“Whoa there, didn’t mean to spook you.” Peebee bent down and started picking up the scattered equipment. Ryder helped. “What’s got you so jumpy?”

_You, touching me. The fact that I have a crush on the least available person in the crew._ “Nothing. Just...distracted by something.”

Just as she thought, the mention of anything emotionally complex seemed to put Peebee off. She helped Ryder finish gathering up the tech quietly. “Didn’t mean to disturb you,” she said with a salute, and then walked away.

Ryder lingered, trying to will the red from her face. From another part of the ship, she heard Peebee verbally sniping at Lexi again. She groaned and tried to block out the sound. It was only another reminder the Peebee was a far from ideal person to be attracted to.

A moment later, Gil walked up to her and leaned in close to mutter, “At least I didn’t teach her the lyrics to the Honker Duckie Dinger Jamboree.”

Ryder raised a brow at him. “That’s actually a song?”

Gil scoffed and leaned against the wall. “Someone didn’t watch Sesame Street as a kid.”

“Mom and Dad had other idea of what made entertaining vids. Mainly those kid-friendly science shows.”

Sam came on over the public channel, “Ryder, if this is a gap in your knowledge, I can queue several of the most landmark episodes for your viewing.”

“Not necessary, Sam.”

Gil laughed and pushed off the wall. “Sam prescribes Sesame Street to you and you say no? See you around, Ryder Duckie.”

Gil left and, with a sigh, Ryder finally retrieved the datapad she had been looking for and retreated to her quarters. She sat down at her desk and began searching through the datapad for the document she needed, but her mind soon wandered. If she thought about it, the nickname no longer bothered her as much as Peebee’s playful, affectionate attitude toward it. She sighed. “Maybe it’s time I have a talk with Lexi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You have no idea how much I'm enjoying writing this. Leave a comment? Got some duck puns?


	4. Chapter 4

Ryder shifted in the seat again, unable to find a comfortable position. The clinical chairs in the medbay were not ideal, but the room was Lexi’s official workplace, and so it was easiest to conduct private meetings with individual crew members there. Ryder cleared her throat, but could not think of anything to say. She glanced over at Lexi to see her tapping out a note onto her datapad.

She caught where Ryder was looking. “Don’t mind me.” She finished and set the datapad aside. “I just keep notes for myself so I can remember what conversations we have. I’m a better listener when you don’t have to repeat yourself.”

“Makes sense.”

Lexi crossed one leg and folded her hands together over the knee. “So, what do you want to talk about?”

Ryder swallowed. She did not feel ashamed for being here with Lexi. Her parents had always insisted that there was nothing wrong with seeing to one’s mental health as well as physical health. “Peebee, mostly.”

Lexi kept a neutral face. “What about Peebee?”

“I have feelings for her.”

“You do?” Lexi still gave away no hint of judgment or concern.

“Yeah, and I don’t really know how I feel about it.” Ryder felt her fingers twitch. She wanted to fidget with something rather than talk. “Peebee’s a great person, but she’s...distant.”

“I never hid my assessment of her being afraid of commitment. That’s not an insight, it’s simply a fact.” Lexi sounded informational, like she was explaining the risks of a certain medication to Ryder. “So as long as you do not expect commitment from her, I suppose your feelings do not present a problem.”

“But I’d want commitment.”

“And this is perhaps what brings you to see me today?”

Ryder nodded. “I know the feelings I have for Peebee won’t be reciprocated. And she’s...not the most ideal person to be attracted to for more than that reason.”

“What makes you say that?”

“The way she treats you.” Ryder groaned and leaned back into the chair. She felt tense all over, like she was trying to pass an exam or something. She didn’t want to watch Lexi study her, as much as she knew Lexi tried to avoid doing that. “She’s awful to you, Lexi.”

“She is a little hostile toward me, yes, but it comes from a place of personal insecurity, not malicious intent.” Ryder managed to meet Lexi’s gaze again. She looked more like a concerned older sister than a doctor in that moment. “But it’s good that it bothers you, I think. You’re altruistic, Ryder, nearly to a fault. And you care a lot.” She finally smiled. “I hope that you find someone that cares as much as you do. I don’t know if that will be Peebee, but I am certain you will find happiness in a partnership when you’re ready to.”

Ryder felt some of the tension ease from her body. “You really think so?”

Lexi nodded. “And you have a healthy perspective on this, at least. You’re honest about what you want from a relationship – commitment – and you recognize when a person is not capable of giving that to you, even when they show interest in you.”

“Oh.” Ryder felt her face getting warm again. She hated how easily she blushed. “You’ve noticed she flirts with me?”

“Yes, she shows more interest than a basic attraction to you." Lexi paused and pursed her lips as if she were thinking something over. "Please understand I’m not saying this to give you false hope. I just want you to understand.” She sighed and shook her head. “I think Peebee used to be a very loving person by nature, and I think someone hurt her deeply enough to put her off people altogether. For a while at least.” She smiled sadly at Ryder. “Don’t wait around for her too long, is what I’m trying to say. It takes a whole person to be in a relationship with someone else, and I don’t know how long Peebee needs to find her whole self again.”

“I guess that makes sense.” Ryder let her gaze shift to the floor. She did not quite know what she had expected to get from meeting with Lexi. _Perspective? Validation?_ It was the truth, she supposed. _The truth I didn’t really want to face._ “Maybe I should come back next week.”

“My door’s always open. Does that mean you are done for today?”

Ryder thought about what more she could possibly want to say, but did not find anything readily available. “Yeah, I think I am. But I’d like to talk again some time, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, Ryder. It’s my pleasure.” Lexi stood up and Ryder followed. “But, ah, before you go I wanted to ask if you’d like me to have a word with any of the crew.”

“Um, what about?” Ryder asked.

“Well, a lot of them seem to be teasing you.”

“They are?” Ryder thought for a moment and then realized Lexi had to be referring to her nickname. “Oh! No, don’t worry about that. It’s just some harmless joking.” Ryder sighed and waved a dismissive hand. “I can handle it with grace. I’m practically a swan.”

She turned to walk out of the medbay. As she left she heard Lexi mutter, “But I thought you were a duck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went for some deeper stuff here. Does this work? I'm trying to explore some more emotionally rich stuff, and I have no idea if what I wrote is pedantic or not. Let me know in a comment what your thoughts are on the conversation with Lexi.


	5. Chapter 5

Meeting Kalinda on the Nexus left a bad taste in Ryder’s mouth. She could tell the moment the asari walked into Peebee’s apartment that something was wrong. For one, Peebee went completely silent. When she spoke to introduce Ryder, Kalinda cut her off and immediately redirected the focus to Peebee’s remnant VI.

“That’s none of your business,” she had growled. And that was the last from Peebee while Kalinda was in the room.

Ryder turned the encounter over in her mind. She wanted to talk to someone about it, ideally Peebee, but the subject clearly made her uncomfortable, despite telling Ryder that she was sweet to offer a sympathetic ear. 

So she wandered into Lexi’s medical bay, awkwardly shuffling her feet on the floor for several minutes while Lexi finished binding up a cut on Liam’s shoulder. Liam sat shirtless on the bench, grinning despite the way Lexi fussed over him. “I see you there, Ryder. Don’t wander off. I’ll be done with Liam in a minute.”

“The doc doesn’t approve of me crawling through the ship’s support structures.” Liam flashed Ryder a grin. “I suppose surround sound is worth a scrape against a loose sheet of metal.”

“It most certainly is not,” Lexi scolded. She sprayed one more layer of bonding agent to the bandages to properly adhere them to his skin for a short time. “There. This should let you heal without forming a scar.”

“But wouldn’t a scar make me more attractive?” Liam stood and grabbed his shirt. “I could tell people some made up story about how I got it.”

Ryder snorted. “But you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get scars that actually have cool stories behind them.”

Liam chuckled and patted her on the shoulder. “Good point. I’ll see you around, silly goose.”

“Yeah, I–what?” Ryder turned around and raised a brow at Liam.

He shrugged. “Oh, isn’t that what they’re calling you now? Or maybe it was trumpet swan. Vetra said something about a water fowl.”

“I’m a little duck.” Ryder clamped her lips shut as soon as the words were out. _Why did I have to say that? Why did I do that?_

From down the hall, Ryder heard Peebee yell, “Yeah she is!”

Ryder groaned and slumped into one of Lexi’s free chairs. “Doc, please make them go away for a bit?”

“Of course, Ryder.” She crossed to the open door and shooed Liam away before closing it. “There. We should have some privacy for a little bit. What did you want to talk about?”

Ryder took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, glancing up at the ceiling. She heard Lexi drag a chair over to her and the soft groan of the metal as she sat. “I don’t know. Something happened with Peebee.” She spared a glance at Lexi. She was tapping notes into her datapad again. “Or, something happened to her. I guess.” She paused, waiting to see if Lexi would respond in any way. “Is it appropriate for me to be telling you this?”

“If you want to share something private about Peebee that she trusted you with and did not want others to hear, you should reconsider _how_ you talk about this.” Lexi finished a note and set the datapad aside once again. “But I’m here to listen if you want to discuss how you feel about whatever it is that happened.”

Ryder nodded and laced her fingers together. It helped to keep her hands from fidgeting. “Well, I met someone who knew Peebee before she was with us. Like, knew her really well.” She remembered the way Kalinda had said _Pelessaria_. Peebee had gone a little grey at the sound of it. _She had to know Peebee hates that name._ “And they weren’t a nice person.”

“Are you concerned for Peebee’s well-being?” Lexi picked up the datapad and began entering notes again.

Ryder shrugged. “I don’t think it’s anything to worry about right now. She packed up all her stuff on the Nexus after this person found where she was staying. I can’t see them following us across the cluster.”

“She evacuated her entire apartment to avoid one person? Ryder, this is something we should put the ship on alert about. What if they try to break in?”

“No! Peebee will kill me if we make a big deal out of this. And besides, she’s Peebee. You know how she gets around people.” _Or she might just leave the ship if she thinks we’re making a big deal over her_.

She expected Lexi to immediately protest, but she sat quietly for a moment, her brow furrowed in concentration. “At least tell Sam to be on the lookout for this person. Peebee is more apt to disappear if she thinks her personal life is causing problems for us.” Lexi groaned and rubbed the side of her face with her hand. “This certainly explains a lot of her behavior, though. Thank you for telling me, Ryder. What else do you want to talk about?”

Ryder bit her lip. Her insides still felt twisted up, but she could not identify a source for it beyond worrying about Peebee. She shrugged. “It’s just sad, I guess. I wish there was something I could do for Peebee.”

“You see that this hurts her, and you want to help.”

“Yeah. But.” Ryder gestured at nothing in particular. “I don’t really know what I could do. I don’t think it’s any of my business, even. But this person obviously messed her up in a big way.”

Lexi nodded. “Do you remember what I said about needing to be a whole person to be in a relationship?”

“I do, and I can’t help thinking this is a big part of why she acts the way she does.” Angry, that was what she felt. She was angry at Kalinda for hurting Peebee.

“Whatever the case may be, it is not your job to resolve this for Peebee. Hopefully, she will work through it before something irrevocable happens, or at least reach out for help if the situation escalates. As for you, I want you to focus on yourself a little more.”

Ryder snorted. “There’s too much going on for me to do that.” 

Lexi gave her a pointed look. “Exactly.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments? I have no idea if this is going anywhere near an interesting direction or not.


End file.
